Which term describes the linguistic system a second language learner develops while learning L2 but not yet mastered?

• A. Interlanguage
• B. Language Learning
• C. Language Acquisition
• D. Bics

Answer: (A)

Interlanguage is the developing linguistic system that a second-language learner creates while learning L2. It sits between the learner’s native language and the target language and evolves as the learner tests hypotheses about grammar, vocabulary, and sound patterns. It’s rule‑governed yet imperfect, often showing transfer from L1, overgeneralization, and sometimes fossilization when progress stalls. This makes it the best fit because it captures the learner’s current, self-constructed system that isn’t fully mastered.

The other terms don’t describe this evolving system. Language learning refers to the overall process of acquiring language, usually with some conscious study. Language acquisition implies the natural, subconscious process of picking up language, not the learner’s intermediate system. BICS refers specifically to everyday social language skills, not the full interlanguage.